Politics

Insecurity: Why Northern Elders Are Angry With Buhari – Femi Adesina

Published

3 years ago

April 15, 2022

Editor

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has knocked the Northern Elders Forum for asking the President Muhammadu Buhari to resign over his handling of insecurity challenges bedeviling the country.

This is as he also alleged that the NEF position was borne out of the members’ frustration after they allegedly failed to be part of Buhari’s regime.

Adesina revealed this in an article titled, ‘Hiding under the umbrella of insecurity’, and shared on his official Facebook page on Thursday.

The PUNCH reports that NEF had on Tuesday asked Buhari to resign for failing to provide security in the country. The forum made the demand in a statement by its spokesperson, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed.

It said it was disappointing that after nearly seven years of being in office, Buhari still has no answers to security challenges across the country.

The statement read in part, “The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari does not appear to have answers to the challenges of security to which we are exposed.

“We cannot continue to live and die under the dictates of killers, kidnappers, rapists, and sundry criminal groups that have deprived us of our rights to live in peace and security.

“Our constitution has provisions for leaders to voluntarily step down if they are challenged by personal reasons or they prove incapable of leading.”

But reacting to the NEF’s position in his article, Adesina alleged that NEF was peopled with “self-seeking individuals” who had hoped will get the better of the regime after Buhari’s electoral victory in 2015.

He wrote, “The point of interest today is the hackneyed calls on President Buhari to resign over the country’s security challenges, the latest coming from a so-called Northern Elders Forum (NEF), a group I’d once described as “Generals without troops.”

“The Forum is largely made of angry, bitter, self-seeking individuals, who had thought they would be leading President Buhari by the nose when he emerged in 2015. In fact, key personalities in the group made strenuous efforts to be part of the administration. When they didn’t succeed, they became adversaries.

“It is on record that NEF had always opposed the Buhari administration since its gambit failed, and before the 2019 presidential election, it openly endorsed Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party as next President.

“And that completely vitiates whatever position the Forum adopts today. It is partisan, bilious, by no means neutral. It is from a self-serving standpoint.”

Furthermore, the presidential aide argued that there were issues of insecurity globally and that the President was sparing no effort in securing Nigeria and Nigerians.

“Between 2009 and 2022, there were at least 271 mass shootings in United States of America, resulting in 1,518 people killed, and 980 wounded. Just this week, there has been the Brooklyn Subway Shooting, in which at least 23 people were critically injured.

“vIn all these, did you hear calls for the resignation of any American President? It is on record that last year was the deadliest in a decade, in terms of mass shootings. Have you heard of calls for the resignation of President Joe Biden by a caterwauling band? No.”

“Every life is important. No single life should be taken wantonly. Not in America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and definitely not in Nigeria. And when challenges occur, as we currently have, it should not be turned to a leaky political umbrella, from under which you hide to express hatred and malice.

“That is what is happening in Nigeria today. Individuals, groups, organizations, political parties, who had been against President Muhammadu Buhari, and who had been given bloody noses at the polls, are now using the smokescreen of insecurity to vent their spleen.

“We failed to oust him through the ballot box, let’s run him out of town by another means. Let’s instigate the country against him. But majority of Nigerians know better.”

Related Topics:#Femi Adesina Buhari Northern Elders

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Politics

He Could Barely Garner 300,000 Votes, Yet Promising Tinubu 2.5m Votes, PDP Mocks Okpehbolo

Published

9 hours ago

June 23, 2025

Editor

…Says ‘Baba Sala’ may have risen in Edo

Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has mocked the state governor, Monday Okpebholo, on what the party described as “laughable and utterly unrealistic statement…” wherein he promised to “deliver 2.5 million votes from Edo State to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election,” stressing that this a “man who could barely manage 300,000 votes for himself in a governorship election that was marred by heavy militarisation…”

A statement issued on Monday night by Chris Nehikhare, Publicity Secretary,
Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, described the statement as not “only comical but an outright insult to the intelligence of Edo people.”

Nehikhare, who alleged that Okpebholo won the election through fraudulent means, question: “despite all the rigging, concocted figures, deployment of federal might, and blatant suppression of the people’s will, how many votes did Okpebholo and the APC muster? Just 291,000 votes.”

He said: “The people of Edo State remember vividly the electoral heist of September 2024—an operation carried out in open connivance with the electoral umpire and the federal security apparatus, where figures were conjured from thin air to fraudulently force Okpebholo into office. That sham of an election remains a matter of legal contention in the courts today.

“Now, with a straight face, he wants Nigerians to believe he can mobilise 2.5 million votes for President Tinubu in 2027—just about the entire number of registered voters across all 18 local government areas in the State. Such a claim is not only absurd but reeks of desperation and sycophancy, clearly aimed at pleasing his Abuja benefactors in a bid to legitimise the September 2024 electoral charade.”

The opposition mouthpiece, who expressed concern that at a time “Edo people are grappling with growing insecurity as a direct result of lack of leadership, while hunger and economic hardship ravage homes daily, and the state collapses under the burden of decaying infrastructure and poor governance, wondered that “Okpebholo’s top priority appears to be seeking applause in Abuja through empty posturing and hollow political promises.”

Nehikhare, while urging President Tinubu not to be “swayed by the noise and exaggerated claims of political opportunists,” urged “Okpebholo to step out of his echo chamber, abandon the obsession with political showmanship, and face the urgent task of governance and delivering real results to the people of Edo State.”

Politics

2027: Bauchi Speaker Responds To Call To Join Guber Race

Published

3 days ago

June 21, 2025

Editor

The Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Hon. Abubakar Suleiman, has responded to those calling him to declare interest in the 2027 governorship race, saying it’s not the right time considering the fact that a lot of works are to be done.

Recall that Bauchi State Coalition of Youth and Civil Society Groups, during a press conference held earlier this week, urged the Speaker to consider contesting for the top seat, citing his experience and achievements in public service.

Responding to the call in a statement made available to INFO DAILY, the Speaker, who appreciated the confidence reposed in him by the coalition, however, maintained that governance and the fulfillment of his current mandate remain his immediate priority.

“While we sincerely appreciate the compliments and support expressed by the Bauchi State Coalition of Youth and Civil Society Groups, we believe that now is not the appropriate time to declare interest in any political position, including the 2027 gubernatorial race,” he said.

He added, “This is not the time. There is still a lot to do. Our primary focus at this moment is on representation and governance, serving the interests of our constituents faithfully.”

The Speaker stated that when the time is right to pursue such political ambitions, it would be done transparently and in consultation with party leaders, political allies, and the people of Bauchi State.

“We hold a mandate entrusted to us by our constituents, and it is our duty to act in their best interests,” he noted.

He urged the coalition and supporters to continue praying and supporting his efforts in delivering impactful governance.

“Our commitment remains to serve with integrity and to prioritize the welfare of our constituents above all,” he said.

Politics

Atiku, El-Rufai Coalition Seeks INEC Registration For New Party

Published

3 days ago

June 21, 2025

Editor

The National Opposition Coalition Group, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has formally applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the registration of a new political party—the All Democratic Alliance.

The application, dated June 19, was acknowledged by INEC on Friday, signalling the coalition’s determination to float a new platform instead of aligning with any existing political party.

The formation of ADA, backed by some other key political heavyweights, including former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and Umar Ardo, convener of the League of Northern Democrats and former aide to President Olusegun Obasanjo, seeks to capitalise on mounting public dissatisfaction and political realignments to stop President Bola Tinubu at the next poll.

The application comes just a few days after INEC warned political groups that no amount of pressure or public sentiment would override the need for strict compliance with constitutional and electoral guidelines.

The commission reiterated that party registration remains a rigorous constitutional process—not merely a political declaration.

With Thursday’s application, the national opposition coalition has now put an end to weeks of speculation about whether it would revive a dormant political platform or launch a fresh one altogether.

A copy of the application letter, obtained by our correspondent in Abuja, was jointly signed by the association’s Protem National Chairman, Chief Akin A. Rickets, and Protem National Secretary, Abdullahi Elayo.

The letter partly read, “We respectfully write to the Independent National Electoral Commission, requesting the registration of our association, the All Democratic Alliance, as a political party.

“This is a sequel to the decision taken by the Nigerian National Coalition Group to sponsor our association for full registration.

“The name of the party shall be All Democratic Alliance with ADA as our acronym and ‘Justice for All’ as our slogan.”

The coalition also submitted relevant documents, including the party’s constitution, manifesto, logo, and minutes of its foundational meetings.

The party’s symbol prominently features a maize (corn), which the applicants say represents abundance, resilience, and sustenance—core ideals they hope to promote.

“We have further attached our manifesto encompassing details of our party ideology and our constitution providing the legal framework that defines our identity, structures, and organisation,” the letter continued.